| L. Tom Perry | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | |
| April 6, 1974 (1974-04-06) – May 30, 2015 (2015-05-30) | |
| Called by | Spencer W. Kimball |
| Apostle | |
| April 11, 1974 (1974-04-11) – May 30, 2015 (2015-05-30) | |
| Called by | Spencer W. Kimball |
| Reason | Death ofHarold B. Lee and reorganization ofFirst Presidency |
| Reorganization at end of term | Ronald A. Rasband,Gary E. Stevenson, andDale G. Renlund were ordained following deaths of Perry,Boyd K. Packer, andRichard G. Scott |
| Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | |
| October 6, 1972 (1972-10-06) – April 6, 1974 (1974-04-06) | |
| Called by | Harold B. Lee |
| End reason | Called to theQuorum of the Twelve Apostles |
| Military career | |
| 1944–1946 | |
| Service/branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Lowell Tom Perry (1922-08-05)August 5, 1922 Logan,Utah, United States |
| Died | May 30, 2015(2015-05-30) (aged 92) Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Resting place | Salt Lake City Cemetery[1] 40°46′28″N111°51′49″W / 40.7745°N 111.8635°W /40.7745; -111.8635 |
| Alma mater | Utah State University (B.S.) |
| Spouse(s) | Virginia Lee (1947–1974; deceased) Barbara Dayton (1976–2015) |
| Children | 3 (includingLee Tom Perry) |
| Signature | |
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Lowell Tom Perry (August 5, 1922 – May 30, 2015) was an American businessman and religious leader who was a member of theQuorum of the Twelve Apostles ofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1974 until his death.[2]
Perry was born inLogan, Utah, to Leslie Thomas Perry and his wife, Elsie Nora Sonne.[3]Perry, Utah is named for Perry's ancestor, Gustavus Adolphus Perry and his family, who were among the first settlers in that area.[4]
From the time of Perry's birth until he was eighteen, his father wasbishop of their LDSward in Logan. From 1942 to 1944, Perry served as an LDSmissionary in the Northern StatesMission, headquartered in Chicago. He spent about 10 months inMarion, Ohio, where he was instrumental in forming a branch in that city. He also served for part of his mission based inCedar Rapids, Iowa. After returning from his mission he joined theUnited States Marine Corps and was assigned to the2nd Marine Division.[5] While in training Perry attended church and activities at the Adams Ward in Los Angeles.[6]
Perry was then part of the American forces that landed onSaipan, and remained there for about a year. While there he participated in the construction of an LDS chapel on the island.[7] He was among the United States troops sent to occupy Japan after the war. While inNagasaki, Perry coordinated a group of Marines to help rebuild a localProtestant church.[8]
Perry graduated from the Utah State Agricultural College (nowUtah State University (USU)) in 1949 with abachelor's degree in finance.[3]
While he was a student at USU, Perry served as president of the university's Associated Students.[2]
Perry's first job out of college was working as administrative assistant working for the USU Extension Service. He also took graduate courses in finance during this time.[9]
In 1950, before his second child was born, Perry took a Christmas retail season job withC.C. Anderson's (CCA) Department Store in Logan, Utah. CCA was a division ofAllied Stores.
In early 1951, Perry took a job with CCA at its corporate headquarters inBoise, Idaho. Later in 1951, CCA decided to appoint controllers in each of their stores. Perry was appointed as controller for theLewiston, Idaho store. When he first took this position he lived in Lewiston, but later moved toClarkston, Washington.[10]
He was later involved in business jobs that took him toWashington, California, New York, andMassachusetts.
Perry was in the retail business during his time inBoston, Massachusetts. He became a fan of theBoston Red Sox and threw out the first pitch at a Red Sox game on May 8, 2004.
In addition to his mission to the Northern States, Perry served as an LDS group leader while on Saipan. He oversaw more convert baptisms in this position than while on his mission.[citation needed]
He also served in the LDS Church as an early-morningseminary teacher, as a counselor in abishopric,high councilor, counselor in astake presidency, and aspresident of the church'sBoston MassachusettsStake.
In early 1963, after moving toScarsdale, New York, Perry was called simultaneously as a member of the New York Stake's high council, stake mission president, and special assistant to thepresident of the church's Eastern States Mission. In these assignments, he worked withBernard P. Brockbank and Wilburn C. West in overseeing the creation and implementation of the LDS Church's pavilion at the1964 New York World's Fair.[11]
Perry was called as ageneral authority andAssistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1972. The death ofchurch presidentHarold B. Lee created a vacancy in theQuorum of the Twelve whenSpencer W. Kimball, who had been serving asquorum president, became church president. Perry wassustained as a member of the Twelve on April 6, 1974, and was ordained anapostle on April 11, 1974.
In 2004, Perry was asked by church presidentGordon B. Hinckley to serve aspresident of the church's Europe CentralArea, headquartered inFrankfurt, Germany. This was a position normally held by a member of theseventy. This made Perry one of the most senior officials of the church ever to be stationed away fromSalt Lake City. While serving in this capacity, Perry initiated a more proactiveinstitute program that emphasized meeting the social and intellectual needs ofyoung single adult church members. In 2015, he met withBarack Obama and other LDS Church leaders at a meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah.[12]
Perry married Virginia C. Lee in theLogan Temple on July 18, 1947.[8] They had three children together. Perry's son,Lee Tom Perry, is an academic and was dean of theMarriott School of Business atBrigham Young University from 1998 to 2005. Virginia Perry died of cancer in December 1974.[13] Their daughter, Barbara, died of cancer in 1983.
In 1976, Perry married Barbara Dayton.[14][2]
In April 2015, Perry was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.[15] In May 2015, the church reported the aggressive cancer had spread and Perry died the following day, on May 30, 2015.[16][17] At the time of his death, he was the third most senior and oldest living apostle in the church.[18] His funeral was held on June 5, 2015.[19] Perry was buried in theSalt Lake City Cemetery, next to his first wife, Virginia and his daughter, Barbara.
| The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Quorum of the Twelve Apostles April 11, 1974 – May 30, 2015 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
